Travelogue Jordan 2011
Karak to Dana

The next morning we went to Karak Castle (Wikipedia). Definitely the biggest fortress I ever visited. It was originally built by crusaders and later taken over by Muslims under Saladin. But it took them long to take it and they didn’t do it in the first try, it’s a good fortress. More information is available in Wikipedia.

Karak town and the fortress on the upper left

view from the fortress into the valley

Before lunch we take a stroll through the historic center of Karak. Gabi almost forces me to buy one of those head scarves worn by Arab man. First I am very reluctant but then it turns out that this piece of clothing is the ideal protection against sun, wind and sand. Really fantastic.

Then further south. Our next target is the Dana Biosphere Reserve, the biggest conservation area of Jordan, run by the RSCN (Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature).

Bedouin camp close to the road

yet another type of dessert landscape, again with some green

As there aren’t any rooms left in the hotel of the RSCN in the village of Dana we decide to book a night in the so called Rumana Camp (I could not find out where the name comes from). This is a tented camp directly in the reserve. It turned out to be a good choice though there had been additional and cheaper options in the village. But the night (full noon) and especially the hike of the next day were a great experience.

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